African American Studies

The department of African American Studies (AFAM) at Loyola Marymount University is devoted to the scholarly examination of the social, cultural, economic, political and spiritual forces that impact the lives of people of African-descended peoples in the Americas and in turn, the communities they create.

As an interdisciplinary field, African American Studies draws upon the insights of the Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Economics) and the Humanities (History, Literature, Law, Philosophy, Theology) and the Arts (Visual & Performing) in providing students with an explanatory framework through which they can analyze not only the historical and contemporary experiences of peoples of African descent, but also those of the wider human community in a global and increasingly diverse society.

Students taking the B.A. degree in African American Studies at Loyola Marymount University gain a broad education that provides enhanced understanding of processes of community formation and cultural production through the lens of the African Diaspora.